Panelboard latch and lock mechanism



Oct. 4, 1955 H. J. HAMMERLY 2,719,423

PANELBOARD LATCH AND LOCK MECHANISM Filed March 27, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor; Herman Jifiarnmerly,

Attorney.

Oct. 4, 1955 H. J. HAMMERLY 2,719,423

PANELBOARD LATCH AND LOCK MECHANISM Filed March 27, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 6 F Y X 1 1\ WMM FELT 5.

IN VEN TOR. ----z- Herman J. Hammerly His Attorney Unite rates Patent PANELBQARD LATCH AND LOCK MECHANISM Herman J. Hammerly, Plainville, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application March 27, 1952, Serial No. 278,866

9 Claims. (CI. 70-81) My invention relates to latching and locking means for cabinet doors and the like and particularly relates to a simple mechanism which can be assembled with a conventional lock cylinder to provide a lock-and-latch combination, or can be assembled without the lock cylinder to provide a spring-pressed latch.

The main object of my invention is to provide a latch and lock combination of simple but reliable construction and low cost.

Another object is to provide such a construction utilizing parts capable of being made by simple stamping and bending operations as contrasted to machining and turning operations or die-cast parts.

Another object is to provide a construction of this character consisting of a minimum number of parts.

Another object is to provide such a construction capable of being applied in a convenient manner to the swinging door of a cabinet or the like.

Another object is to provide such a construction in which the latching bolt when locked cannot be retracted expect when released by the use of a key.

In carrying out the invention, I provide a housing formed of two parts suitably connected together and enclosing a sliding bolt which is held in place by the housing and operated by the operating knob and attached abutment disc or cap.

The housing and the sliding bolt and the abutment disc are all capable of being formed of sheet metal, and the operating knob may be of molded plastic.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of mechanism embodying my invention, showing the bolt in its projected and locking position with a key in place, the section being taken on the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the mechanism, parts being broken away and the bolt being shown in its projected and locking position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the bolt unlocked and in its retracted position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified device arranged for operation as a spring-pressed latch only and showing a fragment of a supporting door.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the mechanism of Fig. 4, parts being broken away.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a plug for holding the parts of the latching mechanism of Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the mechanism of Fig. 1 as applied to a part of a door.

Fig. 8 is a partial plan and section showing the mechanism as applied to a door.

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the parts of the mechanism of Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive.

Fig. 10 is a detail side view of the latching bolt.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the actuating knob.

Fig. 13 is a view of the inner end of the knob.

Fig. 14 is a view of the outer end of the knob.

2,719,423 Patented Oct. 4, 1955 Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane of the line 1515 of Fig. 14.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the device includes a two-part housing made up of a front plate 1 and a back plate 2. Front plate 1 is provided with extensions 3 having mounting holes 4, 4 and also has bent-over opposed side portions 5.

The back plate 2 has similar bent-over opposed side portions 6, 6 (only partially shown) which may be provided with lugs 7 to attach the back plate 2 to the front plate 1 and to thereby enclose and house the mechanism.

A locking and/or latching bolt 8 is slidably guided in openings 9 and 10 in the opposed side walls 5, and is biased by a spring 11 on lug 8 to projected position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, its travel being limited in an outward direction by shoulders 12 engaging a side wall 5.

For the purpose of operating the bolt 8, a generally tubular knob 14 is provided. This knob is journalled in an opening 15 in front plate 1 and may be of molded plastic material.

At its inner end, knob 14 is provided with two arcuate projections 16 and 17 (see Fig. 9) presenting shoulders 16 and 17.

The bolt 8 has a generally central opening 8, and two inturned lugs 18, 18 projecting inwardly from the plane of the bolt 8, and adapted to coact with projections 16 and 17, on knob 14. As knob 14 is rotated in either direction, the projections 16 will engage one of the lugs 18 and force the bolt 8 to the retracted position of Fig. 3, while projection 17 will limit such inward movement by engagement with the opposite one of the lugs 18.

When it is desired to use the device merely as a manually operable latch, a plug member 20 (Figs. 4 and 5) is inserted into knob 14. This plug member comprises a cap portion 20 provided with two extended leg portions 20, offset near their outer ends to provide lugs 21.

Plug 20 is seated in knob 14 so that the cap portion rests on shoulders 14 (Fig. 4) and so that the leg portions 20" are located in channels or grooves 27 and 28 in the knob so that the knob and plug rotate together.

At their free ends, legs 20" pass through the enlarged opening 8" in bolt 8 and then through holes 19' in a retaining cap or disc 19, being bent over to hold the parts in assembled relation.

With the device assembled as described and as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, rotation of the knob 14 causes one end of arcuate projection 16 to engage one of the lugs 18, moving it and bolt 8 backward compressing the spring 11 and retracting the latch bolt. The relation of the parts is then the same as shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that an arcuate segment of the flange of cap 19 has been cut away, and that lug 29 of bolt 8, when the cutaway portion is in alignment, enters this notched or cutaway portion as the latch bolt is retracted.

Means for locking the latch bolt may be provided by utilizing a conventional lock cylinder 24, with key, in place of the plug 20. The cap or disc 19 is then attached to the inner end of the lock cylinder by means of a screw 25, while projections 26 on the cylinder are received in holes in the cap to prevent rotation of the cap with respect to the cylinder.

The interior surface of knob 14 is provided with the two opposed lengthwise channels or grooves 27 and 28 (Fig. 5) adapted to receive the normally projecting tumblers 24' of the lock cylinder in either one of two positions spaced apart. The lock cylinder and its cap 19 may, therefore, be interlocked with the knob in one position as shown in Fig. 2, or they may be interlocked in a position 180 displaced from this as shown in Fig. 3. The interlock may be broken by insertion of the key. The lock cylinder may then be rotated with respect to the knob so as to move cap 19 from its locked to its unlocked position. It will be noted that the knob is prevented from rotating in a complete circle by its engagement with the lugs 18 of bolt 8.

When the cap is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the device is unlocked and it is possible to manually project or retract the bolt. There is no interference between the cap 19 and bolt 8 because the cutaway segment of disc 19 has permitted lug 29 to move upward as previously described.

When the cap is in the opposite position as shown in Fig. 2, the lug 29 carried by bolt 8 engages the edge of cap 19 and prevents inward movement of the bolt.

It will be noted that rotation of the lock cylinder 24 by the key and the accompanying rotation of cap 19 are limited in one direction by interference of lug 22 of cap 19 with lug 23 which is struck from back plate 2 as shown in Fig. 3.

Rotation of the lock cylinder by the key in the opposite direction is limited by the interference of lug 22 with lug 29 of bolt 9 as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 shows a conventional method of mounting the mechanism on a door X which is adapted to swing outwardly from the panel or receptacle Y. The latch bolt 8 is designed to coact with a rabbet plate Z which projects inwardly of the opening of the panel Y and serves as an abutment for the door and for the end of the bolt.

It will be seen that I have provided a combined lock and latch of extremely simple but reliable construction and comprising essentially only four parts: first, the housing 1, 2; second, the sliding bolt or latch 8; third, the operating knob 14, and fourth, the locking member 24 with its cap 19.

Assembly of the device is very simple and is carried out in the following manner: spring 11 is placed on the projection 8 of bolt 8, and the bolt inserted into the housing plate 1. Knob 14 is next inserted from the front through the housing plate 1 and extending to the opening 8" in bolt 8. Lock cylinder 24 is then inserted from the front into knob 14 and cap 19 is attached to its inner end by means of screw 25. Lastly, the plate 2 is assembled so that lugs 7 project through openings 30 in housing plate 1. These projections are then staked or swage'd and the assembly is complete.

I claim:

1. Latching mechanism comprising a housing, a springprojected latching bolt slidable in the housing, a knob rotatable in the housing on one side of said bolt and having shoulders cooperating with parts of the bolt to retract the same, a disk positioned on the opposite side of said bolt having a flange with a cutaway portion said bolt having a portion extending into the plane of said disc and receivable in said cutaway portion when said bolt is retracted, and a plug received within said knob for rota tion therewith and having means of connection with the disk for holding the knob in place, said knob and bolt having coacting parts serving to limit the rotation of the disk and knob.

2. Latching mechanism comprising a housing, a spring biased bolt slidably guided in the housing, a knob rotatably mounted in the housing and extending from said housing on one side of said bolt, said knob having a central passage, said bolt and said knob having coacting projecting lugs whereby the knob may be turned to retract the bolt, said bolt having a central passage, a plug within the central passage of said knob and extending into the central passage in said bolt, said knob and said plug having coacting shoulders, a retaining member positioned on the opposite side of said bolt and secured to the inner end of the plug and overlying the edges of the passage in the bolt whereby said knob is secured to said housing.

3. Latching mechanism comprising a housing, a spring biased bolt slidably guided in the housing, a knob rotatably mounted in the housing and extending from said housing on one side of said bolt, said knob having a central passage, said bolt and said knobhaving coacting projecting lugs whereby the knob may be turned to retract the bolt, said bolt having a central passage, a locking member within the central passage of said knob and extending into the central passage in said bolt, said knob and said locking member having coacting shoulders, and a disk positioned on the opposite side of said bolt and secured to the inner end of the locking member overlying the edges of the passage in the bolt, said disk when in one position serving to prevent retraction of said bolt and in an angularly displaced position to permit retraction of said bolt, said locking member being releasable from said knob and rotatable with respect thereto to move said disk from said one position to said angularly displaced position.

4. Latching mechanism including a spring-pressed latching bolt normally held in latching position, a knob having a driving cam operatively connected to the bolt for retracting said bolt, a key-operated rotatable locking cylinder interposed between the bolt and knob and including locking projections selectively engaging said knob, a locking disk carried by the cylinder normally interlocked with the bolt to prevent retraction thereof, said locking projections being adapted to be disengaged from said knob by the key, whereupon said disk may be turned with the cylinder and independently of the knob by the key to remove the interlock between the disk and bolt whereby the knob may retract the bolt.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a housing, a spring-pressed bolt slidably mounted in the housing and normally extended to latching position, and a knob operatively connected to the bolt for retracting the same, said knob having a recess for selectively receiving either a nonadjustable plug member for retaining said knob and bolt in assembled relation without interfering with the operation of said bolt whereby said device operates only as a spring-biased latch, or a key-operated adjustable plug member for retaining said knob and bolt in assembled relation and which is movable by said key to and from a position in which it prevents operation of said bolt, whereby said device operates as a combined lock and latch.

6. In mechanism of the kind described, a housing for attachment to a movable door, a bolt slidably guided in said housing and spring-pressed to a projected position, a hollow knob rotatably supported by said housing on one side of said bolt, said bolt and knob having coacting parts whereby the bolt may be retracted by rotation of the knob, a plug member mounted in the knob and rotatable therewith, an abutment disk secured to said plug member and having a portion overlying the other side of said bolt for holding the parts together.

7. A latch for cabinet doors and the like comprising a housing having a pair of opposed side walls with openings therein, a flat slidable bolt supported and guided in said openings and having a central opening therein, a generally cylindrical operating knob journalled in a face of said housing, a disk-shaped cap member overlying said bolt around said opening in said bolt, means extending through said opening in said bolt for securing said cap member to said knob so as to retain said knob in its assembled position, and projections on said bolt coacting with said knob for causing retraction of said bolt upon rotation of said knob in either direction.

8. A lockable latch for cabinet doors and the like comprising a housing having a pair of opposed side walls with openings therein, a slidable bolt supported and guided in said openings and having an enlarged central opening therein, a generally tubular operating knob journalled in a face of said housing and having one end extending into the opening in said bolt, projections on said bolt coacting with projections on said knob for causing retraction of said bolt upon rotation of said knob in either direction, a rotatable lock cylinder within said operating knob with one end in the opening in said bolt, said cylinder being lockable with respect to said knob in either of two positions spaced 180 apart, and a discshaped cap member on said end of said cylinder, a portion of said cap member in one position of the cylinder being adapted to interfere with and prevent retraction of said bolt.

9. A lock and latch comprising a housing having an opening in one wall thereof, a slidable bolt supported in said housing and having a latch portion extending through said opening, said bolt having an enlarged central opening therein, a generally tubular operated knob journaled in a face of said housing on one side of said bolt, said knob being operatively connected to said bolt for retract- 10 ing the same, a rotatable lock cylinder within said operating knob and having one end thereof extending into the opening in said bolt, said cylinder being lockable with respect to said knob in either of two angularly displaced positions, and a disk'shaped cap member on the opposite side of said bolt secured to the end of said cylinder, a portion of said cap member in one position of said cylinder being adapted to interfere with and prevent re- 5 traction of said bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,796 Taylor a- July 29, 1884 1,106,760 Weaver Aug. 11, 1914 1,253,679 Fraim Jan. 15, 1918 1,560,821 Jacobi Nov. 10, 1925 2,339,725 Schlage Jan. 18, 1944 

